Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, said there are no plans to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, ARTnews has reported.
Speaking to reporters on his way to an AUKUS announcement with Australia’s Prime Minister and the US President, Sunak said he has no plans to amend a law which prohibits the British Museum from permanently returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.
“The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations. Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country,” Sunak told reporters.
“We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.”
The Parthenon Marbles have been displayed in the British Museum since 1832 after being stripped from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece by Lord Elgin, a British diplomat.
Sunak’s comments were made despite a campaign for the return of the marble sculptures to Greece, as well as months of talks confirmed between the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
The Chair of the British Museum, George Osborne, said the institution has been working on a new arrangement with Greece through which the sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens.
Source: ARTnews.
READ MORE: ‘Difficult but not impossible’: Greek Culture Minister on return of Parthenon Marbles.
